Lubricating means for continuous casting machines



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LUBRICATING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1948 3 ShootsPShoot 1 its nvviwran Alanna I? 60 6wy4%%,am/

lob ATTORNEYJ July- 24, 1951 LUBRICATING umns FOR con-mucus CASTING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvnvron Non/mm I? 6-0:: by W Min. 8 @nw A17 DRIVE "6 y 1951 N. P. soss 60 LUBRICATING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASIING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1948 3 ShOQt-l-ShQOt 5 luvs/WM NGRMAN R 6055 b yngapw Patented July 24, 1951 LUBBICATING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINES Norman P. Goes, Mayileld Heights, Ohio Application March 3, 1948. Serial No. 12,796

This invention relates'to improvements in lubricating means for a machine for the continuous casting of metals.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 653,285, filed March 9, 1946, now matured into Patent No. 2,510,100.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision in combination with coacting vertical walls entirely surrounding a mold passageway on its several sides and having openings through the vertical walls, of means for feeding a solid lubricant through the openings in the walls.

Another object of the present invention is the provision in a continuous casting machine comprising the mold described in the preceding paragraph, of means for positively feeding a lubricant of a substantially solid character through the openings in the vertical walls in a measured manner coordinated with the movement of the metal through the mold passageway.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of means of feeding a solid lubricant through all of the vertical walls surrounding a mold passageway at a coordinated measured speed.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of novel mechanism for the feeding of lubricant blocks into a hollow mold passageway.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a jet of non-oxidizing gas in the space between the skin of the congealing metal and the adjacent wall of the mold so as to protect the congealing metal against oxidation and so as to blow foreign bodies, if any, out of the space between the congealing metal and the mold well.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevational view taken from approximately the position of the line 3-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view 7 taken along the line H of Fig. 2, while disclosed and claimed in United States Patent No. 2,225,373, granted to me December 17, 1940. In such apparatus I provide a generally vertical mold passageway I0 surrounded on four sides by the vertical walls II. The mold passageway is open at the top as indicated at IIIa for the introduction of molten metal and is also open at the bottom as indicated at Iilb so that molded metal may be continuously withdrawn at the bottom by means of pinch rolls or the like as disclosed in my abovementioned patent. The walls II are preferably hollow and water-cooled as taught in the copendingapplication of myself and William C. Fox, Serial No. 689,918, filed August 12, 1946, now abandoned. The walls are also preferably formed of sections supported slidably by wings I2 in corner posts I3, with a slotted opening I4 (Fig. 4) between adjacent wall sections on each side of the mold passageway all as taught in my copending application, Serial No. 653,285, filed March 9, 1946, now matured into Patent No. 2,510,100. In my copending application just mentioned, I have explained how this construction permits expansion of the mold walls in every direction so as to avoid distortion of the mold walls. Preferably also, I incorporate in the present apparatus the slight ofisets indicated at I5 and I6 in Fig. 4 whereby the cross-sectional dimension of the mold passageway I0 is suddenly increased by an amount equal to a few thousandths of an inch at various levels in the mold passageway. This construction is more fully explained and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 745,569, filed May 2, 1947, now matured into Patent No. 2,527,545.

In the present invention I show means for feeding briquetted blocks ll of graphite or other suitable lubricant through the slotted openings I4 between adjacent vertical wall sections. In Fig. 1, I have shown three adjacent wall sections A, B, and C, and it should be understood that there are slotted openings I4 between the walls I I on each of th four sides of the die between tcl ie levels A and B and between the levels B and At each of these slotted openings I4, I provide mechanism exactl like that shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5 and now to be described. On a bracket or platform I8 is mounted a U-shaped casting I 9 which is provided with a hollow central trough 20 at right angles to the adjacent wall of the mold passageway. On each side of the trough 20 is provided a shoulder 2I on which slides a guide plate 22. Secured to the guide plate 22 is a nut 23 which has threaded engagement with a screw 24. Means is provided to rotate the screw and since the nut 23 is held against rotation, the actuation of the screw will cause the nut to press against a plate 22 which in turn engages a. series of graphite blocks I! so as to push the same through a slotted opening l4 toward the mold passageway l0. Flanges 25 bolted to the casting '9 hold the plate 24' and the guide members 22 in proper position as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and E. Upstanding handles 26 may -be provided on the plate 24 for manual movement of this plate as a cover over the block if necessary or desirable.

The means provided for rotating the screws 24 preferably comprises means extending on all sides of the die passageway so that lubricant blocks may be simultaneously moved inwardly toward the die passageway on all sides thereof. The means here shown in combination with each of the screws 24 comprises a worm gear 21 in driving relationship with the screw 24 and a worm 26 coacting with the worm gear. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the gear 21 is keyed to a sleeve 29 and is held on the sleeve by a clamping collar 3|]. The sleeve 29 loosely surrounds the screw 24 and is normally held in engagement with the screw by means of the nuts 3| and 32 which are threaded on the screw 24 and when jammed toward each other cause the sleeve 29 to rotate in unison with the screw 24. A look nut 33 will hold the parts in this position. The sleeve 29 is rotatably supported in a bracket 34 which is rigidly mounted on a base common with the casting I9.

all sides of the mold eway to center the continuously cast metal so that it does not have a tendency to run to one side or the other of the of the metal being cast, it closes the slight air gap Means is provided for rotating any one of the screws 24 when desirable. This means as clearly shown in Fig. 4 comprises a squared end 240.

on the outer end of each screw 24. Obviously, upon backing off the nut 32, the screw 24 is freed from the sleeve 29 after which a wrench or crank handle may be applied to the squared end so as to rotate the screw 24 by hand, thus bringing the graphite blocks to the desired coordination with graphite blocks on other sides of the mold passageway.

The means for causing movement of all of the screws 24 simultaneously is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. On a pair of angles 35 is mounted a plate 36 upon which is fastened a motor 31 supplied by electrical current from a source not shown. This motor drives through a reduction gearing 38 to a shaft 39 which is shown in sec-' devices operate simultaneously to turn the repec- "tive screws 24 so as to feed graphite blocks simultaneously into slotted openings l4 on the four sides of the mold passageway. At the lower level, shafts 4| and and other shafts equivalent to those shown at 42 and 46 drive all of the lubricant feeding devices between the sections B and C.

I find that when casting molten steel in a device of the character described, it is sufllcient if the graphite blocks are driven inwardly a few thousandths of an inch per minute.

I find that when using my present invention in combination with the step construction indicated at l5 and It in Fig. 4, it is possible by feeding the graphite blocks simultaneously inwardly on between the skin on the cast metal and the inner face of the wall portions thus preventing undesirable air circulation at this point. Furthermore, I find that the graphite blocks have a high coefficient of heat transmission and, therefore, heat is absorbed out of the steel being east through the graphite blocks Another improvement in my continuous casting apparatus is disclosed in Fig. 4 where I provide a small tube or conduit 41 passing through one of the vertical wall portions II and extending to the inner face of the wall portion so as to communicate with the slight air gap between the congealing metal and the inner face of the mold passageway. Through this pipe 48 I feed a jet, preferably of non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen, hydrogen, or carbon dioxide or other hydrocarbon, so as to prevent oxidation of the surface of the metal adjacent the inner walls of the mold passageway. It is an object of this invention to keep the surface of the bar of metal going through the mold in a non-wetting condition. An oxide coating on the metal will cause it to become wetting and this oxide coating will cause the metal being cast to stick to the walls of the mold passageway. It should be understood that as many of the pipes 46 will be supplied around the walls of the mold passageway as necessary in order to supply the non-oxidizing gas at all points around the periphery of the metal bar being cast. Another advantage of this stream of nonoxidizing gas is that it can escape upwardly and in so doing will carry particles of foreign matter upwardly and out so as not to cause undesirable friction between the congealing metal and the walls of the die passageway. J

What I claim is: v

1. In a mold for the continuous casting of metal having coacting vertical walls entirely surrounding a mold passageway on its several sides, and wherein said passageway is open at the top for the introduction of molten metal and is open at the bottom for the continuous removal of molded metal, and wherein there are slotted openings extending entirely through each of said vertical walls at approximately the same level on all sides of said passageway, the combination therewith of solid blocks of lubricant filling said openings, and driving means for advancing said blocks on all sides toward said passageway at substantially equal rates, whereby to center the metal in said passageway, said driving means including positive mechanical driving mechanism on each side of said passageway and positive mechanical connections between the driving mechanism; on each side with said driving mechanism on every other side. 3

2. In a mold for the continuous castingof metal having coacting vertical walls entirely surrounding a mold passageway on its several sides, and wherein said passageway is open at the 'top for the introduction of molten metal and is open at the bottom for the continuous removal ql' molded metal. and wherein there are slotted openings extending entirely through each of said vertical walls at approximately the same level on all sides of said passageway, the combination therewith of solid blocks of lubricant filling said 5 openings, and driving means for advancing said blocks on all sides toward said passageway at positively correlated rates, said driving means including positive mechanical driving mechanism on each side of said passageway and positive mechanical connections between the driving mechanism on each side with said driving mechanism on every other side.

NORMAN P. GOSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

